Earlier this week, I attended a Rosh Hashanah celebration at the home of some Jewish friends. We had ritual foods, blessings and candles, plus a fabulous meal. The one thing I was secretly hoping for was someone to blow a shofar, but I would have needed to go to synagogue for that.
The shofar is a ram’s horn that functions a bit like a bugle. The symbolism is derived from the story of the binding of Isaac, when Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac to God, but God provided a ram to be sacrificed instead. (Read the full story in Genesis 22.)
The shofar is blown on Rosh Hashanah for a few reasons. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish new year and is considered the anniversary of God making humankind — God’s last act in creating the world. The shofar serves as a trumpet heralding the coronation of God as King over all of creation.
Rosh Hashanah also initiates the Ten Days of Repentance, culminating in Yom Kippur. This is a time for self-examination, reflecting on mistakes, seeking forgiveness, making amends, and committing to positive changes in behavior. The shofar sounds a wake-up call to this process, especially for those slumbering souls who have grown complacent.
The shofar likewise foreshadows the Day of Judgment at the end of times, which the prophet Zephaniah describes as “a day of trumpet blast and battle cry.” (11:6). Similarly, the shofar will call together the Jewish people who are scattered to the corners of the earth at the time of the coming of the Messiah.
(If you’re drawing connections between Rosh Hashanah and the liturgical season of Advent, which marks the church’s new year, well done. If not, come to this Sunday’s newcomer’s class and learn more!)
Ultimately, the shofar is a symbol of hope and commitment to serving God. One responds to the shofar by saying in their heart, “Dear God, I am in!”
To tell you the truth, this inner response to the shofar reminds me of couples counseling. As in any relationship, both parties must be keen and interested in order for their partnership to succeed. They must show up, be present, do the work, and want it to work.
Occasionally, a couple comes to me with marital challenges. I listen through long lists of grievances and complaints from each person. Then I ask a simple but critical question before proceeding any further: “Are you fundamentally committed to each other and to this relationship?”
As in, “Before we get into the nitty gritty and details about your feelings and behavior, I need to know if you’re really in. Because if you’re not fully committed, those details are beside the point.”
When it comes to God, we indeed need to work through the details and account for the times we didn’t honor our relationship with God, ourselves, and other people. But first, we show up and accept God’s loving proposal by communicating those three words: “I am in.”
“I crown you as my king. I recommit to getting my heart right and my life right because I am utterly devoted to you. I want to do whatever it takes, so let’s work out those details together.”
God is calling you. Jesus is calling you. He is sounding the shofar.
Are you in?
Adrian+